An Army of Hope

Sometimes while writing a sermon I have to take a break and put words to paper (or mac screen) in order to get some ideas off the table.  Too many ideas can clog the gears of thought, leaving too many options that try to force their way into my weak attempt to articulate God’s words for us.  Rarely do this words ever see the light of day.  But there’s a first time for everything.

These are some words that I need to get out of my mind. 

There is a great deal of darkness and hate swirling around in the last week.  Now perhaps is just me and the cold germs that I currently harbor in my body, but every time I turn on the TV, read the newspaper, or float around the internet and twitter, all I come across is negativity. 

There is a war going on and its got many fronts.

There’s the war on Christmas….

…the war of words surrounding Phil Robertson and A&E…

… the war on Obamacare…

…the war of words over gun legislation - brought to fresh light by yet another school shooting…

…the actual wars raging in Syria, Irag, afghanistan…

…the actual wars raging in our city streets - I am reminded of the constant shadow of death on the south side of Chicago…

…the list goes on…

I do not record this list in an effort to bring more gloom to the table. 

Actually my purpose is quite the opposite. 

I want to talk about hope. 

Specifically the hope we have in Christ. 

As we draw closer to the nativity, moving through this fourth week in Advent, I want to add my voice to the conversation raging in the world around us.  I want to talk about hope. 

Hope comes in many forms in the Christmas narrative - too many to name - to many that still may find their way into my Christmas Eve sermon.  The one I want to focus on can be found in Luke’s version, in the fields with the shepherds, as their lives were interrupted and their world turned upside down. 

The shepherds could have probably come upon with a pretty gloomy list of events and issues that brought darkness to their lives - much like the list above.  They were outcasts of society…oppressed by empire…poor economically…unclean religiously.  They are the last folk on earth who would ever think about receiving good news - that night, or any night.  And yet to them the angles appeared. 

There is good news.

And here’s the cool part, at least for me.  As we tell the story today, the shepherds are visited by a “host” of angels…a heavenly host.  This is a very pastoral scene.  Shepherds and sheep and a large group of singing angels.  But I don't think this is what Luke had in mind.  The word for “host” can also be translated as “army.”  The shepherds are literally visited by an “army of angels.” 

Now the shepherds knew about armies.  So did Luke.  They were familiar with Rome’s legions who spread the “pax romana” - the so called roman peace - with violence and brute force.  They knew all to well the violence of an army - be it a physical force…an army of words that let them know just how outcast they were…an army of labels like unclean…an army of reminders that they did not belong. 

But here Luke offers a different army - one that truly brings peace and good news for all the world and (no categories and labels here….no paperwork or hoops to jump through - All.  The. World.) for all people.  Here Luke presents an army of peace, sent by God to a world worn out by armies of hate - be they Roman or religious or otherwise.

The shepherds are greeted by an army of peace.  This is good news.  For them.  And for us.  But the story is not over.

The shepherds are then drafted into action.  They are no longer bystanders of the story.  They are drawn in by the word of peace and hope.  They join the army.  Excitement builds and they invade Bethlehem in peace and they get to look upon the prince of peace in wonder.  And hope.  And they go back out into the world to be voices of that hope.  As they share the good news, the army of peace grows.  

As the darkness of rhetoric, of hate, of hopelessness builds around us - as the nameless armies go through their maneuvers in our midst - I wonder if we can counter them with love.  I wonder if we too can join the army of peace.  The army of the angels and shepherds and the generations that have come before us who have boldly spoken words of peace and love - keeping the flame of hope alive in our world.   

And it all starts with love. 

Love…love…love…

I am reminded of one of my favorite Christmas songs.  It’s not a traditional one by any means, but it is one that speaks of hope and love.  It was penned by Dave Matthews and is simply titled “The Christmas Song.”

One of the chorus lines begs the question, “Why in all this hatred do you fill me what with love?” 

It's a hard question.  Why are we filled with love?  And I am not here to answer it, but simply to remind.  We are filled with love.  This is what we need.  To be reminded that we are filled with love, by God, through Jesus, to be an army of hope in this world.

My hope and prayer is that we can join the army of angels - and shepherds - in speaking words of peace, God’s peace, to our world that needs this good news so badly.  That we can become an army of hope in our world.